Construction element by blowing or blowing-pressing

ABSTRACT

The hollow construction element ( 3 ) delimiting an external envelope of determined volume, put together to constitute an ensemble, is formed by at least one material blown or blown-pressed. An assembly comprises at least two construction elements ( 3 ) and can comprise communication means between the at least two construction elements.

The invention relates to a construction element, especially a glass construction element, designed for edification of works of genie civil or d'art.

Today, for example, in the case where glass is used as construction material of choice in architecture for an increasing number of façades, walkways, rooves, stairs, etc. the construction element is in the form of a tile, a brick or a cast or pressed glass module. It brings benefit to the site where daylight is used. Yet, this cast or pressed glass module has a solid side which considerably degrades the preferred aesthetic effect, on the one hand, and on the other hand needs a large quantity of glass for its fabrication and is therefore fairly heavy. Also, this type of glass cast or pressed module or brick or tile shows a relative absence of varieties in dimensions and forms due to the cost of moulds (because of casting and pressing conditions of the glass) and the production technique. Finally, the brick, the tile or cast or pressed glass module cannot act as a container and therefore cannot be filled with liquid, for example.

One of the aims of the invention is to provide a construction element forming a determined volume, simple and economical to make, light and which can serve as a container and allow communication between two adjacent construction elements.

For this purpose, according to the invention a hollow construction element is provided, delimiting an external envelope of determined volume, put together to constitute an ensemble, formed by at least one blown or blown-pressed material and also comprising at least one hole in a wall thickness, especially at the level of a base, designed to create communication between two adjacent construction elements during assembly.

Advantageously, though optionally, the construction element comprises at least one of the following characteristics:

-   -   the construction element is formed in a mould whereof an         internal wall delimits the determined volume;     -   after release from the mould, the construction element is         annealed;     -   at the level of a base, the construction element has a form         complementary to a form of the construction element at the level         of an apex;     -   at the level of a base, the construction element comprises         locally one or more hollows of a cylindrical or prismatic form         extending back into an interior of the construction element;     -   at the level of an apex, the construction element comprises an         opening;     -   the construction element comprises a content; and,     -   the material blown or blown-pressed is glass, plastic material         or composite material.         According to the invention, an assembly of at least two         construction elements having at least one of the preceding         characteristics is also provided.

Advantageously, though optionally, the assembly comprises the following characteristic:

-   -   the assembly comprises communication means between at least two         construction elements,     -   the communication means comprise a tube,     -   the assembly comprises means for circulating fluid between at         least two adjacent construction elements,     -   the communication means allow the passage of a cable (60), fibre         optics, an illumination system or a sheath (61) between at least         two adjacent construction elements.

The present invention also relates to a process for making construction elements and a process for using such construction elements comprising a step consisting of circulating fluid between at least two adjacent construction elements.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of an embodiment of a construction element according to the invention and a production process of this construction element. In the attached diagrams:

FIG. 1 is a sectional schematic view of a mould used in a production process of a construction element according to the invention;

FIG. 1 a is a three-dimensional schematic view of a variant embodiment of the mould of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 2 a, 2 b and 2 c schematically illustrate assemblies of construction elements made by the process of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a variant assembly of construction elements made by the process according to the invention;

FIG. 4 a is a three-dimensional view of an embodiment of construction elements resulting from the process according to the invention;

FIG. 4 b is a three-dimensional view of an assembly of construction elements of FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of a section of wall made by assembly of construction elements of FIG. 4 a; and,

FIGS. 6 a and 6 b are schematic views of variants of assembly of construction elements produced by the process according to the invention.

In reference to FIGS. 1 and 1 a, a mould 1 which is used in a production process of a construction element according to the invention will now be described. The mould 1 will produce a construction element 3 according to the invention of general form here parallelepiped, and more particularly cubic. For this, the mould 1 comprises two parts 2 and 4 assembled together to make up an internal wall 5 delimiting a determined volume, here a cube, of the construction element 3. One 4 of the parts has the general form of a rectangular contour plate or square which comprises a surface 51 of the internal wall 5. This surface 51 delimits a base of the construction element 3. The surface 51 comprises a protuberance 52 extending and projecting to an interior of the volume delimited by the wall 51. As the construction element 3 is being made this protuberance 52 creates a hollow 20 complementary to the protuberance 52. The other 2 of the parts of the mould 1 has the general form of a bell which comprises a surface 53 of the internal wall 5. The two parts 2 and 4 of the mould are in contact at the level of a plan of joint parallel to the upper surface 51 of the plaque of base 4. The surface 53 delimits an apex of the construction element 3. The surface 53 extends substantially parallel opposite the surface 51. The surface 53 also comprises an orifice 54. The orifice 54 enables on the one hand the introduction of a mass of material which will constitute the construction element 3, and on the other hand, due to its form, delimits an outgrowth 10 at the level of an apex of the construction element 3. A form of this outgrowth 10 is complementary to a form of the hollow 20. But, for practical reasons, a height h1 of the outgrowth 10 must be less than a height h2 of the hollow 20, for example at least by 5 millimetres. This difference between the two heights ensures a space which, in case the base of the cube droops when exiting the mould still hot, enables the construction elements to fit in all the same during assembly.

As a variant embodiment of the mould 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1 a, the part 2 comprises two elements 21, 22 assembled together as well as with the part 4 to constitute the internal wall 5 delimiting the determined volume. According to FIG. 1 a the two elements 21 and 22 are formed from symmetrical semi-bells joined according to a joint plane perpendicular to the upper surface 51 of the base plate 4.

The production process of a construction element according to the invention will now be described, illustrated in the case of using glass as material constituting the construction element which is cubic in shape. Initially, a mould such as previously described in reference to FIG. 1 is made. This production is known per se to the expert and will not be described in further detail here. The mould is preferably reusable a number of times and can be metallic.

Once the mould is made, a parison (mass of glass) is collected in an appropriate oven, taken from above after cutting by mechanical chisel, and introduced to the mould via the orifice 54. The glass is then in a pasty form.

It is then processed by blowing or blowing-pressing inside the parison then introduced to the mould 1 such that the material comes into contact with, or is placed against, the ensemble of the internal wall 5 of the mould 1 in a layer of determined thickness. The blowing consists of introducing gas (air, for example) into the parison to dilate the volume of this mass of glass. The final preferred volume is hollow and delimited by the layer of glass of determined thickness. Blowing is done with compressed air or by mouth. As a variant, the blowing, or the blowing-pressing, is done either manually, semi-mechanically, or mechanically. These techniques are well known per se to the expert. In terms of mechanical or semi-mechanical blowing, a lead weight can be introduced to the construction element 3 during production to ensure, in a manner known per se, by relative displacement of the lead weight in the inner volume of the element, proper placing of the glass against the internal wall 5 of the mould 1 and proper and constant determined thickness of the resulting layer.

On completion of blowing, a cap of material projects from the orifice 54 of the mould 1. The latter is removed using a cutting tool, such as a diamond disc, or by Laser cutting. By way of variant, this removal is carried out hot by fire finishing of said cap. In addition, removing the cap produces an opening (FIG. 4 a) located at the top of the outgrowth 10. The blowing mechanical process has no need of this cutting as the construction element 3 exits finished directly without a cap.

The construction element 3 is removed from the mould by opening up the different parts 2 (21, 22), 4 forming the mould 1.

The mould can be reassembled then reused for making a fresh construction element 3.

Finally and according to the materials used, as in the case of glass, an annealing step of the resulting construction element 3 is carried out. As a variant, an application step of one or more colours to the construction element 3 is provided between release from the mould and the annealing step, the latter thus fixing the applied colour or colours.

It is also provided according to the invention to use a coloration mode to produce effects and irregular colorations approaching the effects obtained by manual blowing within the scope of mechanical execution. The process comprises a step in which colouring elements (oxides, enamels for glass, etc.) are introduced by means of tubes which guide compressed air for blowing the construction element 3. In this case, coloration is fixed inside on an internal surface of the construction element.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b schematically illustrate assemblies 30, 31 of construction elements 3 made according to the process previously described. In the two examples, a construction element 3 is fitted with another construction element 3 by having the outgrowth 10 of the first cooperate with the hollow 20 of the second. These assemblies 30, 31 are here vertical.

In FIG. 2 c, the construction, elements 3 are assembled horizontally, so it is possible to offset one relative to the other two successive rows and increase the stability of the ensemble 35 at substantial heights (for example formation of walls with construction elements 3).

In reference now to FIG. 4 a, this illustrates a construction element 3 made according to the process according to the invention previously described. Here, the construction element 3 is cubic in shape, and hollow. It comprises at the level of a base a hollow 20. The hollow 20 comprises in a thickness a series of holes 15 distributed over part of the hollow 20 forming the base of this hollow 20. The holes 15 are blind. If necessary, during assembly one or more of these holes 15 can be made discharging to have the interior of the construction element 3 communicate with the interior of another construction element on and with which the first construction element 3 is assembled, and this via the orifice 11 of this other construction element. By way of variant, the hole 15 is unitary and its size can be selected so as to correspond to the base of the hollow 20.

By way of variant, all or part of the holes 15 are discharging during production of the construction element 3. In another variant embodiment, holes 15 can be made at the level of a lateral wall of the construction element 3.

These holes can be formed directly by Laser cutting without tracing in the mould or by mechanical piercing with a diamond drill for example. To form these holes 15, the mould 1 comprises locally one or more hollows of cylindrical form extending back from the surface 51 to the interior of the mould at a height less than the determined thickness of the layer forming the base of the construction element 3, for example at a height of 2 to 3 millimetres. This guides the diamond drill during piercing.

In addition, the construction element 3 comprises an outgrowth 10, at the level of an apex, itself comprising the orifice 11. The form of the outgrowth 10 is complementary to the form of the hollow 20. This makes assemblies such as the one 34 illustrated in FIG. 4 b or the one 33 illustrated in FIG. 5. The assembly 33 represents a large surface such as a section of wall of a recess, for example.

As a variant, in the case of mechanical blowing, the outgrowth 10 must have a conical form open to the top to allow robot pincers to grip and withdraw the construction element 3 from the mould and place it on a rolling belt conveying it in the direction of an annealing oven. In these conditions, the orifice 54 must not have external dimensions greater than the interior dimensions of the hollow 20, which retains the assembly possibilities of two construction elements made by fitting, as has been previously described.

As a variant embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, during assembly 32 of construction elements 3 a hollow tube 14 is introduced in through one of the holes 15 made discharging. While ensuring tightness between the wall of the hole 15 and the external envelope of the tube 14, the presence of such a tube will keep a determined level 13 of liquid in the construction element 3 during introduction of fluid inside the construction element 3. This level corresponds to the apex of the tube 14. The size of this tube is selected as a function of the remaining level of preferred liquid in the construction element 3. The tube is made of transparent material, optionally having an index close to that of the liquid introduced to the construction elements to make them as discrete as possible.

The assembly of construction elements according to the invention is completed by means of materials used for assembly of glass tiles or for placing flat glass façades, such as normal cement, adhered cement, plastic materials such as silicon or adhesive tape, etc.

According to a variant embodiment, the assembly of construction elements 3 comprises means for circulating fluid between at least two adjacent construction elements.

According to another variant embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 6 b, when the construction elements 3 forming the assembly each comprise a single hole 15 whereof the dimension corresponds to the base of the hollow 20, said assembly forms a sheath in which it is possible to pass a conduit or sheath 60 which can contain all sorts of cabling, such as electric cables or fibre optics, or even lighting systems, such as strips of LEDs. FIG. 6 a illustrates a variant embodiment in which several holes discharging 15 are arranged enabling passage of several cables or fibre optics 60.

According to yet another variant embodiment, the construction elements 3 forming the assembly have on at least one of their external faces a hollow imprint made over the entire height or width of said external face, the hollow imprint being designed to receive, during assembly, all or part of reinforcing means which are then embedded. in the joint formed between two elements. These reinforcing means reinforce the assembly and can be iron to concrete type. The two construction elements 3 between which the joint is formed each comprise such a hollow imprint which is interfaced during assembly.

From a point of view of the application in the construction of construction elements made according to the process of the invention, said construction elements can be assembled together simply or integrated into structures made of other materials, such as wood, iron, concrete, etc. They can be used as fountains, windows, wind bracing, walls of kitchens or bathrooms, show windows, entire spaces, etc. The presence of holes 15 allows circulation of liquid or gas vertically, even horizontally in the case of holes 15 in the lateral wall of the construction element 3. To retain different levels of liquid in the construction elements, as tube 14 of selected length is introduced to each construction element. It is of determined length for use as overflow system and to make it easier to direct the path of liquid or gas.

Using construction elements realises according to the process of the invention has the following advantages:

-   -   major aesthetic quality, ideal for interior decoration: it is         possible of work on colours in the variant, in each construction         element such as from one construction element to the other, the         whole forming carefully chosen gradations on large surfaces. It         is possible to modify the speckle of light which passes through         by the presence of coloured or not liquid or gas inside. It is         possible to blow in air or any other gas to create bubbles which         capture light differently;     -   a possibility of circulating liquid/gas inside and between         construction elements;     -   thermal insulation: if a window or a wall is built with         construction elements filled with water, this form initial         insulation due to the walls of the construction element and         secondary insulation due to the presence of water. It is         possible to introduce antigel into very cold zones, and for very         hot zones it is possible of fill the construction elements         partly to allow evaporation to find the necessary space;     -   a heating system: the construction elements nest together and         must be open at the base and at the apex; they can be in the         form of a parallelepiped, a cylinder, a cube, a cone etc. There         are successions of conduits which form a wall of glass, and hot         or boiling water arrives at the bottom to create water vapour         which naturally travels to the conduits in the ascending         direction; once at the top and in contact with the cold the         steam returns to water form and descends to be recovered in a         container located below. As a variant, hot water rises to the         highest level of the conduits to then descend to the bottom. To         slow down the speed of descent, the opening (number of         discharging holes 15) which exists at the base of each         construction element can be adjusted. It is also possible to fix         a quantity of water in each construction element with an         overflow system. The heat contribution can be solar or any other         means of heating;     -   a possibility of making an entirely closed space out of         construction elements of blown glass, such as for example a         beauty care cubicle in thalassic centres with or without water         circulation inside construction elements;     -   moulds for blowing glass, particularly for blowing by mouth or         semi-mechanical, for example are less costly to make than moulds         used for casting or pressing and offer a wide variety of forms         (parallelepiped, cylinder, conical, etc.) and dimensions;     -   blown construction elements are lighter than cast or pressed         tiles.

The construction element 3 according to the invention has just been described as being formed glass blown or blown-pressed. By way of variant, other materials suitable for blowing or blowing-pressing can be used. This is the case especially of plastic materials in general. Composite materials are also utilisable within the scope of the invention, in particular glass-based composite materials such as a mix of cold nano-glass and resin.

Of course, it is possible to contribute numerous modifications to the invention without as such departing from the scope of the invention.

The construction element cannot have an outgrowth 10 but retains its characteristics such as described previously as well as the possibility for assembly.

In particular, instead of liquid or gas, it is possible to introduce inside the construction element 3 pulverulent material such as sand, pebbles, or even living or dried plants, etc., that is, any type of content. 

1. A hollow construction element (3) delimiting an external envelope of determined volume, put together to constitute an ensemble (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35), and formed by at least one material, blown or blown-pressed, characterised in that it also comprises at least one hole (15) in a wall thickness, especially at the level of a base, designed to create communication between two adjacent construction elements (3) during assembly.
 2. The construction element as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it is formed in a mould (1) whereof an internal wall (5) delimits the determined volume.
 3. The construction element as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the construction element is annealed after release from the mould.
 4. The construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that at the level of a base the construction element has a complementary form (20) of a form (10) of the construction element at the level of an apex.
 5. The construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that at the level of a base the construction element locally comprises one or more hollows (15) of cylindrical or prismatic form extending back inside an interior of the construction element.
 6. The construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that at the level of an apex it comprises an opening (11).
 7. The construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it comprises content.
 8. The construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the material blown or blown-pressed is glass, plastic material or composite material.
 9. An assembly (30, 31, 33, 33, 34, 35), characterised in that it comprises at least two construction elements (3) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to
 8. 10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that it comprises communication means (14) between the at least two construction elements.
 11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the communication means comprise a tube.
 12. The assembly as claimed in any one of claim 10 or 11, characterised in that it comprises means for circulating fluid between at least two adjacent construction elements.
 13. The assembly as claimed in any one of claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the communication means allow passage of a cable (60), fibre optics, an illumination system or a sheath (61) between at least two adjacent construction elements. 